June 2017 Newsletter
Towards a long-term home for the temple:
Launching the Building Fund
We have been looking for some time for a property to purchase to give the temple a long-term home, and we have now found a property that would suit us very well that is about half a mile from our present location.
The house is in Kingsmead Road, Knighton, and is a 1950s three-bedroom detached house. It's basic layout is similar to the current temple building, but the rooms are all a bit more spacious, in particular the kitchen and bathroom.
The property that we are hoping to purchase
We have set up a Building Fund to help raise money towards the purchase, and the temple website now has a Building Fund page, which has more details about the property, including several photos.
With our current level of income we think we would just about be able to manage the mortgage repayments on this property, but we don't yet have enough for the deposit. We have been offered some long-term personal loans which get us about half way towards it, and we have also applied for a grant from a grant-giving charity, but at the moment we are about £46,000 short of what we would need.
How you can help
We would like to hold out our alms bowl, and ask whether you can help us reach our target to provide a long-term home for the temple. There are a number of ways in which you could help.
A lump sum donation to the Building Fund.
Reaching the target for a deposit on a property is our main goal, and a donation of any amount towards reaching that would be very gratefully received. (More details on the Building Fund page.)
A long term loan to the Building Fund.
We would be very grateful for loans over a period of ten years or more. An interest-free loan would be ideal, but we would also consider interest-bearing loans. We would draw up a loan contract that would include the possibility that at any time you could have the loan repaid to you, in an emergency, with three months notice. Please contact Rev. Aiden if you feel able to offer a loan or would like more details.
A regular donation to the temple by Standing Order.
Regular donations through standing orders will be of great benefit in covering our mortgage repayments. Any amount is welcome, large or small. If you would like to help in this way, you can either fill in a Standing Order form (click here to download) and return it to us, or you can set it up yourself via internet banking etc., using the bank details given above. You can cancel your Standing Order at any time.
Donations placed in the alms bowl at the temple.
We are grateful for support in whatever form it comes, and any and all donations placed in the alms bowl will help us in the running of the temple.
The front room would make a good meditation hall
Where we go from here
We have made on offer on the property, but it has only recently come onto the market, and at the moment the vendor is holding out for a higher price.
In the meantime, we are making applications to two possible mortgage providers with whom we have been in contact, as well applying for the grant mentioned above. The main thing that we need to do is raise sufficient funds for the deposit. Once we have our finances in place, we can then try to agree a price with the vendor at that point.
We will keep you informed as things progress, and as always we are very grateful for all the support that you offer to the temple, both in terms of financial and material help, as well as through your practice.
Forthcoming Events:
Festival of Great Master Keizan
On Saturday the 10th of June we will be celebrating the Festival of Great Master Keizan. Keizan is an important figure in the Soto Zen lineage, and was a third-generation descendant of Dōgen. He was born in 1267, and founded many temples throughout his life, including Sōjiji in Yokohama, where Rev. Master Jiyu, the founder of our Order, trained in the 1960s.
Great Master Keizan
Before Keizan’s time, Sōtō Zen was confined to a few small monasteries, but under his influence it flourished and eventually became the largest Buddhist school in Japan. Keizan Zenji is thought to have introduced much of the ceremonial that we use today, and whilst Dōgen is regarded as the stern father of Sōtō Zen, Keizan is considered to be its compassionate mother.
This festival is an opportunity to celebrate the life and teaching of this important teacher in our lineage.
The day will start at 10am with a meditation period, followed by the ceremony. After the ceremony there will be a Dharma talk, and at about 1pm there will be a bring-and-share vegetarian lunch. In the afternoon there will be two periods of meditation from 2pm, followed by a Dharma discussion and tea. You are welcome to come for any part of the day.
For other events in June, please see the events calendar.
The Festival of the Buddha's Birth
We weren’t as lucky with the weather as we were last year for our Wesak festival on the 6th of May. A dull and windy day meant that we weren’t able to use the garden.
It didn’t stop us in our Wesak celebrations, however, and it was nice that local Sangha members from Leicester and Nottingham were joined by several people from further away, including from Rugby and from Boston, Lincolnshire.
Wesak Festival 2017
Alms Bowl Requests
Thank you to all those who have donated items to the temple. We are very grateful for donations of any household or other items that the temple might be able to use. Please contact Rev. Aiden if you have an item to offer but are not sure whether it would be useful.
Donations of Food
Offering food is a traditional way to support a monk, and any donations of vegetarian food are most welcome. In particular:
- fresh fruit and vegetables (except garlic or peppers)
- porridge oats
- yoghurt and eggs
- peanuts or other nuts
- nut or seed spreads (e.g. peanut butter, tahini)
- rice and pasta
Any other suitable items would also be appreciated.
Donations
The temple is dependent on donations for its continued existence, and any financial support you are able to offer is greatly appreciated. Details of how to offer support can be found on the Donations page of the website.